11-year-old charged after reports of tainted Snickers in Rowan neighborhood

A child has been charged with inserting pins into Halloween candy found by two different families

By David Whisenant and WBTV Web Staff| November 2, 2018 at 9:06 AM EST - Updated November 7 at 11:53 PM

ROWAN COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office has charged an 11-year-old child for inserting needles into Halloween candy given out to trick-or-treaters.

The child has been referred to Rowan County Juvenile Court and will faces charges of “distribution of certain food at Halloween containing foreign objects”. The investigation into the matter determined that the pins were inserted into Snickers candy bars through the packaging and then given out to trick-or-treaters.

The child has now been sent for a mental health evaluation before court proceedings can begin.

Rowan Sheriff says 11-yr-old put pins in Snickers given out on Halloween in Grace Ridge neighborhood. One boy bit into one and suffered a puncture in the roof of his mouth. Felony charges now filed. Child has been sent for a mental evaluation, has relatives in the neighborhood. pic.twitter.com/lw5Y2h2q0a

The investigation began after a mother saw a post on Facebook about a Snickers candy bar containing a pin that a child had bitten into on Halloween night. In that case, a 12-year-old boy went to the doctor after a pin punctured the roof of his mouth. Howard “Junior” Peacock claims his son got the candy trick-or-treating in the Grace Ridge neighborhood in southern Rowan.

WBTV spoke with Peacock for a second time Wednesday night. The father said he was shocked to learn a young child was accused of committing the crime.

“At the time I was really mad, now I’m sad,” said Peacock.

He said he is hoping the child accused of putting pins in the candy will get serious help.

“I’m concerned. By being a parent myself, I’m so concerned for this little kid,” explained Peacock.

The mother told deputies that after seeing the post, she checked her child’s candy and found the pin in a Snickers bar.

The mother told WBTV on Friday that she checked the candy in each bag belonging to her four children. All had gone trick or treating in the Grace Ridge community on Wednesday.

“I got down to the last few pieces and cut up the Snickers and found it,” the woman said.

If you trick-or-treated in the Grace Ridge community, you’re asked to call Detective Sgt. Rodney Mahaley at 704-216-8711.

Copyright 2018 WBTV. All rights reserved.

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